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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27516724">be spoilt for choice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsongothic/pseuds/crimsongothic'>crimsongothic</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Bad Parenting, Dating, M/M, Mommy Issues, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reality TV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 04:49:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,855</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27516724</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsongothic/pseuds/crimsongothic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Gerard Way is living his personal hell, his life on a constant live stream of reality television by his mother's cruel hand. When his freedom is offered for the mere price of participation in a dating special, he can't refuse.</p>
<p>He isn't expecting to meet anyone of interest, but what kind of story would this be if he didn't?</p>
<p>Inspired by The Selection series.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bert McCracken/Gerard Way, Brendon Urie/Gerard Way, Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Gerard Way/Original Character(s), Gerard Way/Pete Wentz, Mikey Way/Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump/Gerard Way, Ryan Ross/Gerard Way</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>be spoilt for choice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've been writing this on and off for about three years now. I'm hoping if I start posting chapters, I'll actually have motivation to finish it.<br/>I don't do RPFs often, but I would like to say that I harbor no ill feelings to anyone in this book (except maybe Brendon lol), no matter how they're characterized. Especially Donna, because I know I demonize her quite a bit. This is heavily an AU, and I know the characterizations are far from the people's actual personalities.<br/>There's a few original characters, but the most important one is Gerard and Mikey's little sister Violet. She's 10. Gerard is 17, Mikey is 15, and the contestants are a range of 16-18.<br/>Finally, I put the relationship tags in order from a number generator, because it's a surprise who wins the competition. So don't read too much into that.<br/>I hope you enjoy, and that this gets enough reception that I'll actually be motivated to continue.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Gerard hates his mother. This isn’t your traditional parent child rivalry, or at least he hopes no one else goes through what he does. In his mind, she’s everything he despises about the world, and he’d do just about anything to escape her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donna Way has made a capitalistic fortune profiting off her family’s life. It started with a reality show. Donald was rich, and when she married into the family young and famous, an actress who had landed the right role at the right time, they had attracted attention. The world watched the Way family as a drama, as they brought two sons and a whirl of marital problems into a singular household. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His father had eventually put his foot down, demanding it be cancelled. To viewers and Donna’s disappointment, the show ended after a handful of seasons. His younger sister was never on that first run, and Gerard is grateful for it. It’s one of the things he admires about his father, probably because he can’t remember much else about the man. He died when Gerard was seven, only a few months after Violet’s birth. His mother always tells him to go back and watch some episodes whenever he asks questions about him, but Gerard doesn’t want to know about the character his dad played. Unlike Donna, he has to believe his father didn’t always live as an act. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Donald’s death wrecked the family in more ways than one. As much as he wishes Violet had met him, he doesn’t want her to know that pain. It wasn’t completely loss either, that ruined everything. Mere weeks after the funeral, the Ways were back on the air, broadcasting their grief to thousands. Another reason it’s good Violet was so young, is that she still loves their mother. Gerard knows her view is clouded, but if he could live as a ten year old that still had respect for Donna, if he could have that cluelessness, he’d probably take it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hates his mother. As far as he’s concerned, the only good things she’s done for this world are bringing Mikey and Violet into it. It sounds so terrible, and he even feels some guilt thinking it, but if she dropped off the face of Earth today, he’d smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerard knows it’s self centered to think so, but he’s absolutely sure his life is some fucked up story. There is no way that Donna isn’t a villain. Each week she tops herself with some new scheme, some new way to ruin his life. It seems almost too comical, he doesn’t want to believe a human could be so selfish. But he’s lived with it for years, so he’s accepted as much as he’s able, and swallowed the rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Around age 13 is the time Gerard believes he grew a spine. That was the time he told his mother, with a little bit of backup from Mikey, that he wanted the cameras gone. It was invasive as hell, having a whole crew film every bit of his childhood. He wanted it gone, or he was going to leave. Every member of the family, Gerard included, knew that wasn’t possible. No way was America’s favorite tween getting further than a few miles away. But what Donna did know, was that he wouldn’t stop complaining. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her brilliant solution; hidden cameras. The crews weren’t completely eliminated, only hitching a ride if the family went out. She thought that this would make Gerard happy, that without a physical team he would forget anyone was watching him. As you would expect, it didn’t. But that singular action made him realize that she truly was evil, and that he would just have to wait it out. He had one request, a music/art studio off of his room that no cameras were allowed in. Donna had agreed, as long as he didn’t stay cooped up in there too long, and it was built within the week. The cameras were installed as well, and he said goodbye to any shred of privacy he had left. Even his bedroom was under surveillance. A formal request would have to be made to turn the cameras off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That’s why when Donna comes in, and he looks to the nearest camera to see the absence of a red blinking light, he knows he’s screwed. She takes a seat at the foot of his bed, and he turns away from her. If the constant live stream of their house was interrupted, he was going to take every opportunity to piss her off. She’s wearing her fake smile. Gerard isn’t sure whether or not she forgot to take it off at the door, or if it’s just a part of her now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me and the board were talking.” Wow, cutting straight to the chase. He isn’t sure whether he should appreciate the bluntness, or be weary of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The board and I.” He corrects her. It’s petty, but even Donna not being educated is an annoyance to him. Instead of college, she chose to tie down a rich man with a pregnancy, and trade a fulfilling life for one with only the comfort of money. It wasn’t public information, which is crazy in itself, but his parents likely wouldn’t have even gotten married without the unexpected baby. Unexpected on his dad’s part at least. Gerard was a tool for his mom before he was even born. He thinks about that a lot. She ignores his snide remark, and continues.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We came up with a new special. Think of it like the Bachelor, but with you at the center. It would be about a week long, we’d bring about ten girls here, and at the end you’d pick one!” Gerard can see it in her eyes, in her fucked up view, she really believes he’ll think this is a good idea. Donna doesn’t know her son in the slightest. He’s partially to blame, closing himself off in his most formative of years. But even he knows that this isn’t okay, that she should know he would hate this. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There’s also the fact that he’s gay, something that Donna doesn’t quite know yet. It’s not as if he doesn’t want her to, frankly he doesn’t care. There just hasn’t been a proper time to bring it up, especially when he didn’t know who could be watching him do so. Thinking at the very least he could use it as ammo, he comes out in such a fashion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I like guys.” He does turn to look at her then, and her jaw is hanging open in the slightest. It’s not often he shocks her out of a performance. Her demeanor returns as quickly as it had left, he’s glad he didn’t miss it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re gay?” She’s smiling again, and as much as he told himself not to care, the smallest bit of his stomach is relieved she doesn’t hate him for it. With everything he goes through, his mother possibly being homophobic wasn’t a fear in his mind. But when the words left his mouth, it appeared. He doesn’t get normal teenager issues often, and seeing Donna smile at this makes him forget momentarily that his life isn’t normal. He’s just a kid with a mother who’s happy that he came out to her. He nods, yes, he’s gay. Then she just has to speak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even better! We’ll get a lot more younger viewers if we’re not just another straight dating show!” Gerard’s heart shatters at that. Donna isn’t proud of him for coming out, she’s happy at what she’ll gain from it. He shouldn’t have expected anything less.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Regardless, I don’t want to. So, no.” He so badly wants that to be the end of it, but he knows it won’t be. She purses her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t understand why you have to be so selfish.” That’s rich. “Fine, I’ll sweeten the deal.” It’s too quick a solution. Even if she believed that he’d say yes without hesitation, leave it to Donna to have Plan B through Z on hand for any other response than overwhelming support. “If you see this through to the end, I’ll </span>
  <em>
    <span>consider </span>
  </em>
  <span>the </span>
  <em>
    <span>possibility </span>
  </em>
  <span>of letting you go to art school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There it is, she really has him backed into a corner now. Every other time he had asked in the past, it had always been a hard no. The Ways couldn’t afford to lose one of the few characters they had left on their show. He doesn’t need her to pull strings, or even give her money, so that he could go to college. He’s sure his talent and some student loans would suffice. But if he were to go against her, he’d lose his siblings. That’s not something he’s willing to do, especially when he knows he’s the only thing that protects them from the full force of Donna. If she’s willing to let him go over this competition of sorts, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>not cut ties with him, it must’ve tested extremely well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine.” It’s quiet, but she hears it because it’s the only thing she really came in there to hear. It’s not as if he has a choice. An awkward week of his life for some freedom, he can’t really say no. “I’m assuming everyone would be paid.” Donna nods, eyes already buried in her phone. She’s texting away, he wouldn’t be surprised if he saw commercials for this if he turned on his TV right now. Everyone will probably come for the money, hopefully that’ll just make it easier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do Mikey and Violet know?” He can see his mom pressuring his little sister into keeping this a secret, but he would at least hope Mikey would’ve hinted if something of this caliber was coming.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I was waiting for the go ahead from you.” She looks up from her phone. “But now that we’re all set I can. Is it okay if we get the word out by this weekend?” This is all going way faster than Gerard is comfortable with, but there’s no stopping her now. She’s a hurricane, one that he can always count on wrecking everything. He can’t stop her, only adapt and survive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gerard feels like a caged animal. It’s not as if Lindsey and himself haven’t spent nights coming up with a plan on how to open the door to said cage, but there was always his siblings holding him back. He had settled long ago, with the knowledge that he’d just have to wait until the door was opened by his keeper, and if all he has to do for that to happen is pretend to like a few guys for a week or two, so be it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that all?” There’s the usual malice laced in it, though more prominent now because he can’t bother to hide it. Donna sighs and stands, at least being able to take that hint.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I suppose so.” She walks to the door, but before she can leave she turns and leans against the door frame. “I love you honey.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doubts she even knows what love is.</span>
</p>
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